The Lop Breeds

For those of you who don't know, a lop is a rabbit with ears that flop down. There are currently (February 2018) five lop breeds recognized by the American Rabbit Breeder's Association: American Fuzzy Lop, English Lop, French Lop, Holland Lop, and Mini Lop. Here is some more info on each of these breeds

1. American Fuzzy LopThe American Fuzzy Lop is the newest lop breed to be recognized by ARBA. The AFL originated from woolly Holland Lops, called 'fuzzies', which were selectively bred into the AFL that we have today. AFLs have compact body type and wool fur type. They typically have friendly and curious personalities, like their Holland Lop ancestors. AFLs do require quite a bit of grooming to keep their wool from getting matted. They come in a wide range of colors.

2. English LopThe English Lop is best known for their ginormous ears! Their earspan can reach well over 21 inches long, with the world record being 31 inches! English Lops do require special care to keep their ears from getting damaged, and they need to have their ears cleaned fairly frequently. English Lops obviously came from England, and first arose in the mid 19th century. English Lops have semi-arch body type and normal fur type. They typically have gentle temperaments. English Lops come in lots of colors.

3. French LopThe largest of the lop breeds, the French Lop shatters scales at a whopping 10.5 lbs and up. Despite their impressive size, French Lops are gentle giants, with sweet and docile personalities. French Lops originated in, you guessed it, France, in the 19th century. French Lops have commercial body type and normal fur, so they have low grooming requirements. Like all lop breeds, they come in a large array of colors.

4. Holland LopThe Holland Lop is the most popular and well-known lop breed, and originated in the Netherlands in the 1950s. They come in more colors than any other lop breed, and are known for their playful, sweet natures. They have round heads and short, thick bodies. They are the smallest lop breed, weighing 2-4 lbs. Hollands have compact body type and normal fur type. They have low grooming requirements. The Holland Lop comes in more colors than any other breed.

5. Mini LopThe Mini Lop is a medium sized breed of rabbit, and is actually only the third smallest lop breed! They have compact body types and lush, normal fur type with easy grooming requirements. Mini Lops originated in Germany, and were originally called Klein Widder, meaning 'little hanging-ear'. Mini Lops have rounded heads, and well-shaped ears, and come in a number of beautiful colors. They typically have calm and friendly temperaments.

BONUS! Velveteen LopThe Velveteen Lop is a new lop breed not currently recognized by ARBA (as of October 2017). They have been shown numerous times and failed to be recognized in Solid pattern, so they are currently only in the exhibition stage. Velveteen Lops are a medium sized rabbit, and are the only lop breed in the US with rex fur type. They come in a number of colors, and have inherited their long ears from their English Lop ancestors. Velveteens tend to have calm and friendly dispositions, and make excellent pets. If you are looking for a show animal but don't have the time and ability to commit to raising an unrecognized breed, then the Velveteen Lop might not be the best choice. However, they make a stunningly beautiful and unusual pet!